NASCAR Power Rankings 2025: Five drivers riding blistering pace into Richmond showdown

Shane Van Gisbergen's road course dominance continued on Sunday with a victory at the NASCAR Cup Series Race held in Watkins Glen. It was the New Zealand native's fourth win of the 2025 season, tying Denny Hamlin with the most on the campaign.

With two regular-season races to go, there are a few drivers who have been on massive runs as of late. We'll take a look at those drivers in this week's NASCAR Power Rankings as the circuit heads to Richmond Raceway on Saturday night.

5. Bubba Wallace

NASCAR: Go Bowling at The Glen - Source: Imagn

Bubba Wallace continues to ride the high of his Brickyard 400 victory three weeks ago. Since that victory, the driver of the #23 has posted back-to-back top-10 finishes, including a sixth-place run at Iowa and an eighth-place effort at Watkins Glen.

The 23XI Racing star is 11th in the NASCAR Cup points standings with two races until the playoffs. He has one win, four top-fives, and two stage wins in 2025. Looking ahead to Richmond, Wallace earned a career-high fourth in last year's event.

4. Christopher Bell

NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen - Practice - Source: Getty

Christopher Bell put together an impressive run to the finish on Sunday at Watkins Glen. The driver of the #20 placed third in stage two and, on the final run of the race, wheeled his way home to a second-place finish. It was Bell's third top-10 finish in the last five races.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has three wins this season, but the latest win came at Phoenix in March. Since then, the Oklahoma native has posted an average finish of 12.1 and accumulated nine top-five finishes. At Richmond, Bell has seven top-10 finishes with a best finish of second in 2022.

3. William Byron

AUTO: AUG 09 NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling At The Glen - Source: Getty

One week after his thrilling win at Iowa, William Byron followed up with a solid run at Watkins Glen. The driver of the #24 earned a fourth-place finish on Sunday for his ninth top-5 finish of 2025. With two races until the playoffs, Byron is the current points leader and has a 42-point lead over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott for the regular season championship.

The HMS star has earned two wins, including the season-opening Daytona 500, and posted an average finish of 13.8. Of the 24 races this season, Byron has led the NASCAR Cup Series points lead for 19 of them. At Richmond, Byron has three top-five finishes with a best of third in 2022.

2. Ryan Blaney

NASCAR: Go Bowling at The Glen - Source: Imagn

Ryan Blaney muscled his way to another strong finish on Sunday at Watkins Glen. The driver of the #12 started on the pole, won stage two, and ultimately came home in sixth place. It was the Team Penske star's fourth straight top-10 finish, putting him near the top of this week's NASCAR Power Rankings.

With two races left in the regular season, Blaney is currently sixth in the points standings. The 2023 Cup champion won this year at Nashville and has a total of eight top-five finishes. Blaney has three top-10 finishes at Richmond, but his latest top-10 run at the 0.75-mile track came in August 2022.

1. Chase Briscoe

AUTO: AUG 10 Cup Series Go Bowling at the Glen - Source: Getty

In the final stretch of races until the playoffs, Chase Briscoe is standing out among the rest. The driver of the #19 came home fifth on Sunday at Watkins Glen, his fourth top five in the last five races. With the Joe Gibbs Racing driver's recent hot streak, he sits atop this week's NASCAR Power Rankings.

Briscoe has one win this season at Pocono and has recorded 10 top-five finishes. The Indiana native has laid down the hot laps in qualifying, too, with a series-high six pole positions. Richmond has been a struggle for Briscoe, however, as he has failed to finish within the top 10 in eight starts. Yet, with his recent momentum, Saturday could be the night Briscoe has a breakout run at the Virginia short track.